site.btaMedia Review: January 2

HEADLINES

The main topics in print and online media on Tuesday ware related to New Year’s Eve celebrations and recent political discussion on Bulgaria’s Schengen accession. Newspapers feature articles related to Bulgaria’s financial and social policy in 2024. The front-page story in 24 Chasa is an interview with Finance Minister Assen Vassilev. Trud’s top story is also in the economic field, the daily writes that as of 2024 the state is providing a 10% bonus when one sells their company. Telegraph’s leading story is on the upcoming weather in 2024. Duma does not have a print issue on January 2, the morning programme of the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) is also not broadcast. Among the topics of discussion in the Tuesday morning programmes of bTV and Nova TV are the earthquake that hit Japan on Monday, the New Year’s Eve celebrations across Bulgaria and the world, and a police car chase in Stara Zagora that ended with the chased man’s death. A leading topic in the morning studio of the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) was Bulgaria’s Schengen accession discussed by Bulgarian MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk and Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov. 

ECONOMY 

Finance Minister Assen Vassilev says in an interview for 24 Chasa that more people are coming back to Bulgaria, than permanently leaving it, thus he says, “the trend has been reversed”. He reiterates his opinion that the budget deficit for 2023 will be below 2%, saying that it was achieved because of increased tax collection and lower expenditure. Commenting on inflation, Vassilev said that the figures written in the 2024 budget are completely realistic. “What was there as a deficit criterion has been met, and I do not see any problem in the forecast for next year. Inflation is falling, but at a slightly slower rate in Bulgaria than in Europe, because our economy is not in recession. The other reason is that food and energy prices, which were the main cause of inflation in our country, are falling at a lower rate. In June 2024 will be the convergence report, which will also include the inflation data until the end of May. I hope that by then we will also have met this criterion for joining the euro area,” he says. 

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Interviewed about the Russian-controlled Lukoil Neftochim Burgas oil refinery, Martin Vladimirov, Director of the Energy and Climate Program at the Center for the Study of Democracy, told the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) there is no risk for now that it will exit the Bulgarian market. In early December, the Lukoil Group said it was reviewing its strategy with respect to its assets in Bulgaria and would analyze various options, including the sale of the business. Vladimirov said there is a risk, however, that a bogus sale may take place and a company from the region - for instance, from Azerbaijan or Kazakhstan - may take control of the oil refinery. The new owner may process oil sourced from those countries on paper, while the revenues will still go to Russia. The expert stressed it is very important to have an authentic deal instead of having the refinery keep processing Russian oil. He added that being one of the most state-of-the-art refineries in the world, the Burgas-based plant can process more than 20 varieties of oil and there is no technological reason why Bulgaria should be dependent on Russian oil. Vladimirov also warned that the corporate tax Lukoil prepaid for 2023 may have to be refunded.

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Telegraph writes that water prices are increasing countrywide by an average of 15%, but the increase is not yet determined for Sofia. The daily writes that the highest increase is set in Sliven (southeastern Bulgaria), where the price is going up by 41%. The least price increase is in Kardzhali (southcentral Bulgaria) with 1.4%. Considering the previous and current prices per cubic metre, the highest increase is registered in Razgrad (northeastern Bulgaria), where one cubic metre of water now costs BGN 6.10, and the most recent increase was 12.9%. 

Telegraph also writes that as of January 1, 2024, the gradual increase of the retirement age and pensionable work experience continues. The increase for men and women is one and two months respectively. The final target set in the legislation will be reached in 2037. At that time, both men and women will retire at the age of 65 and the required retirement age will be 40 and 37 years respectively.

CRIME 

A police chase in Stara Zagora on December 30 ended with a 58-year-old man dead and a police officer injured and admitted to a hospital, Dnevnik.bg writes, quoting the press centre of the Regional Directorate of the Interior Ministry in Stara Zagora.

The daughters and ex-wife of the deceased were in the studio of Nova TV, where they expressed their repulse towards the police and the way the case is handled. They shared that they are of the opinion that the chased man was beaten to death by the police and that the case will not be investigated appropriately to find those culpable for their actions.  

Dnevnik.bg writes that social media users have commented on the case and so far dozens of videos of nine police cars and an ambulance have been circulating online, and among the comments, there are versions that the police probably exceeded their authority in the arrest, which led to the death of the driver. One version on social media was that the deceased man was actually hit on the road during the chase, and according to some there was also a shooting. 

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Interviewed by BNR, Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov said the lifting of air and sea border controls for Bulgaria at the end of March 2024 was a huge step towards its full EU integration. He remains optimistic that this country can join Schengen by land by the year's end. He called the situation at the border with Turkiye "very calm" in the last four or five months. 

In contrast, Bulgarian MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Renew Europe/Movement for Rights and Freedoms) said in a BNR interview that Bulgaria was unlikely to see land border controls lifted by the end of 2024 during the run-up to Austria's parliamentary election in the autumn. He also said Bulgaria is one of the countries which bear the brunt of refugee pressure, but it does not get solidarity.

Both Stoyanov and Kyuchyuk were adamant that Bulgaria will not accept any refugees other than those established under European law.

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In his interview for 24Chasa, Finance Minister also comments on Bulgaria’s Schengen accession and the upcoming rotation of the country’s prime minister. He notes that the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing between Bulgaria and Turkiye is the second busiest land border in the world with over 4,000 being processed daily. That he says is the reason why Bulgaria needs to join the Schengen area’s land borders too, together with air and sea borders agreed upon until now. “It will unblock supplies to the common market and exports, as well as transit, which passes through Bulgaria and which is growing extremely rapidly,” Vassilev says. On the topic of the prime minister’s rotation, Vassilev says that the government is committed and supports the agreed rotation between current Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov and his deputy and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel. 

SOCIETY

The morning programme of bTV features interviews with the mothers of the first baby boy and girl of 2024 born in Bulgaria. The boy was born less than a minute after the clock struck midnight and the girl four minutes later. 

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Hristo Grozev, Bulgarian investigative journalist at Bellingcat, spoke in a video call on the morning programme of Nova TV. He commented on the recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory and the psychological implications they have during the time of holidays. He said he did not expect further escalation in region from the Russian side in the next two to three months because of the upcoming presidential elections in Russia. Commenting on Bulgarian home affairs, such as the dismantling of the Soviet Army monument in Sofia, Grozev told the media that "many Bulgarians are beginning to understand what the country's political interests are. I see an understanding by the Bulgarian people as to who are our friends and who are not. People who used to be neutral or sympathetic to the Kremlin now have a completely different perspective."